Chase field sets with explosion of controversy

The finish of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 Sprint Cup race at Richmond was the kind of moment that’s leaving a lot of people doing the SMH — Twitter-speak for “shaking my head.”

To wit, one “spin” by Clint Bowyer turned the Chase dreams of four of his fellow drivers on their collective heads. Two were happy, two more were downright ticked off.

To recap, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. are in the Chase. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman are not.

And all primarily because of Clint Bowyer.

Let the howls of conspiracy theories begin.

By no strange quirk of fate, Bowyer was already locked in the Chase. Martin Truex Jr., his Michael Waltrip Racing teammate, was not.

So what does Bowyer do? With seven laps to go, he pulls a Rodney Dangerfield from the climactic scene in “Caddyshack.”

Ooh…my arm! It’s broken!

Well, not quite. Radio traffic was heard and reported in multiple media accounts. When word got to Bowyer’s crew that Newman was leading the race and about to deny Truex his Chase spot, crew chief Brian Pattie put his thinking cap on.

“Is your arm starting to hurt? I bet it’s hot in there. Itch it.”

Bowyer replied with “oh, yeah” and spins out seconds later with Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearby to make it look good.

Despite Bowyer’s attempts to sell the spin as legitimate, very few drivers were truly buying it.

Even with that spin, which NASCAR is promising to investigate after initially washing its hands from it, Newman ended up losing five spots on pit road.

Newman didn’t hesitate to throw his crew under the bus afterwards, either. Can you blame him?

The end result of the messed-up pit stop: Truex makes the Chase over Newman, who finished third, on a tiebreaker — more second-place finishes.

And as if that wasn’t insane enough, the final restart got everyone talking because Carl Edwards jumped past leader Paul Menard too early.

Edwards wasn’t penalized and he went on to win at Richmond, his second of the season. With Jimmie Johnson finishing 40th, his fourth straight bad run, Edwards ended up as the points leader heading into the Chase by one.

Create your own bonus prize for Edwards if you wish, but he’ll start the Chase as the No. 5 seed. Johnson will be second, three points behind Matt Kenseth.

While Newman was lamenting his misfortune, Gordon didn’t have another miracle run in him. He finished eighth Saturday and missed the top 10 — and a Chase berth — by one point.

Joey Logano is in the Chase in spite of finishing 22nd at Richmond. Matches his car number, but big deal at this point.

So to review: Logano and Truex Jr. are happy. Gordon and Newman are hot and bothered. Championship aspirations do the darndest things in the era of the Chase.

If you’re a Gordon or Newman fan and want to make your own Clint Bowyer voodoo doll, you can’t be blamed. The tweet of the weekend came from none other than country singer and “The Voice” coach Blake Shelton in support of Bowyer.

Y’all should follow @ClintBowyer!!! The definition of team player!!! #hero, Shelton’s tweet said.

What Bowyer did can’t be solely to blame for Saturday’s outcome. It’s a tiny part of a more complete picture. NASCAR racing is about “team,” and Blake Shelton gets it, even if he’s speaking more from the heart than his head.

Now that the Chase is set, here’s how they’ll line up heading to Chicago next week. Where they finished in the “regular season” is in parenthesis.

1. Matt Kenseth (6th): 2,015 points.

Wins: Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol 2.

Kansas may be the only track found in the Chase, but Kenseth’s already tied his most successful season (2002). He’s also led the most laps of his career (1,149).

2. Jimmie Johnson (2nd): 2,012 points

Wins: Daytona 1 and 2, Martinsville, Pocono 1.

Just when we thought title No. 6 was a foregone conclusion, Johnson is on a streak of four straight rotten runs, including 40th twice (Michigan, Richmond 2). He’s putting on the “we own the Chase” face, but don’t be too sure just yet.

3. Kyle Busch (5th): 2,012 points

Wins: Auto Club, Texas, Watkins Glen, Atlanta

Still in search of first Cup title. His best previous finish was fifth in 2007, but has real potential to join big brother Kurt to compare championship rings.

Proof may come from how he starts each week, an average of 8.2 to date. As long as Kyle keeps his head, there’s no telling what he can truly do.

4. Kevin Harvick (4th): 2,006 points.

Wins: Richmond 1, Charlotte.

Downside to Harvick’s season: He’s led a total of 51 laps. Upside: 31 came in his wins, including just three at Richmond.

Maybe good luck will find a way, but the 29 is a longshot in his final days at Richard Childress Racing.

5. Carl Edwards (1st): 2,006 points.

Wins: Phoenix, Richmond 2.

He may have jumped the restart to get win No. 2 on Saturday, but it means nothing in the bigger picture. It’s go time now, and Cousin Carl will have to win at least once more to have a good shot in the final 10.

6. Joey Logano (10th): 2,003 points

Win: Michigan 2

The 23-year-old is carrying the Penske Racing mantle with Brad Keselowski officially eliminated from a shot to defend his title. No pressure.

7. Greg Biffle (9th): 2,003 points.

Win: Michigan 1

Was exactly eight points in front of Logano in the end after finishing 12th at Richmond. Breathing a definite sigh of relief.

The Biff has a truck and Nationwide championship on the resume, but completing the trifecta would be historic. It’s not likely to happen, but a fun thought to dream.

8. Clint Bowyer (3rd): 2,000 points.

His move to get Truex into the Chase will be talked about for a while for all the wrong reasons. Bowyer’s reputation may be sullied among some critics, but he’s not going to really care.

With a 15-point hill to climb, two wins in the Chase are a must.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7th): 2,000 points.

No wins since last June at Michigan for Junior. All work with teammates is a dead issue now. It’s go time.

10. Kurt Busch (8th): 2,000 points.

Accomplishes his mission with Furniture Row Racing, getting the one-car team in the Chase. The foundation for the future is in place.

11. Kasey Kahne (14th): 2,000 points.

Six bonus points for two wins (Bristol 1, Pocono 2) are gone, but they definitely put Kahne in the Chase.

The climb will be long.

12. Ryan Newman (13th): 2,000 points.

Should have been in this spot all along, but better late than never, right?

Newman has signed with Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 31 next season. Now that the controversy has quieted, he’s got the tools to at least challenge for the title.

If I had my unofficial pick, I think Kyle Busch is going to grow up in this Chase right before our eyes. He’ll win the whole thing and hold the trophy at Homestead — as long as he keeps his head.

Tom Zulewski’s ‘Through the Gear Box” column will appear online each Monday for the remainder of the racing season. He appears on “Racing Fan Radio,” hosted by Shane Beck, that airs Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m. on 1320 KFAN and 1320KFAN.com.